The present invention relates to a method, a security element and an end device which respectively support a flexible subscription management.
Users of mobile end devices, such as for example mobile radio end devices, smartphones, wearables or tablets, may access to a data communication network of a certain network operator if they have a user subscription for this network.
For the mobile end device the user subscription is typically implemented by an application installed in a security element of the user's mobile end device, a so-called user subscription application. This application has for example the task of securely storing and managing access data that are necessary for accessing the network operator's data communication network, for example an access key. As a security element there can be provided for example a (U)SIM mobile radio card.
Within the communication system the network is responsible to check and control any conditions existing for the subscriber, e.g. limiting a data communication of the user over the network. In particular, there is normally established an upper limit of a data volume that is available per time unit, such as for example 300 megabytes per month. A data communication beyond such a limit is then impossible, or only possible on conditions that are disadvantageous to the subscriber (higher price, lower data transfer rate, etc.).
It is assumed that systems have been proposed in which the existing usage monitoring means in the communication network is adapted to ignore predefined monitoring results. This could e.g. enable the network operators to administrate the mobile device via the network without having to consider the available subscriber's data volume.
Such solutions however may have several disadvantages. On the one hand, the solution may become complex in view of roaming situations and/or coexisting mobile communication networks based on different technologies. Further, according to such solutions, the network operator typically loses information required for adjustments that might be necessary in terms of insufficient network capacities. It remains unclear for example which network operator might possess insufficient capacities at which times in which region.
EP 2 437 530 A1 uses a payment application executed in a trusted execution environment of a terminal in order to pay for the download of a network subscription application into the same execution environment. US 2013/0227137 A1 detects the actual usage of a user's network subscription for reserving resources in a cloud service environment if potentially required only. FR 2 945 143 A1 relates to the parallel use of multiple contactless (NFC) payment applications on a SIM card. EP 2 693 784 A1 describes a SIM card including multiple network subscriptions and additional payment service access data, wherein one subscription is selected based on criteria like dates, QoS, coverage or location. EP 2 693 784 A1 discloses the preamble portion of claim 1.